Unmut
Flesh-Imprisoned Spirit
Detriti Records
Industrial metal is certainly nothing new, but it’s rare to hear a band grounded in an extreme metal foundation trade in both early industrial aesthetics and the atmospheric side of darkwave as smoothly as Swiss trio Unmut do on their debut EP. Those who wish that their dark ambient and doom metal fixations could be crossed over will appreciate how funereal synths are woven into the Monotheist-era Celtic Frost dirge of “Flesh-Imprisoned Spirit”, but Unmut sound just as comfortable deploying classic second-wave goth rock and darkwave chops on the lithe and anthemic “Tempter”. Information about Unmut is scant, but Markus Weber of Veil Of Light and Sleep Forever likely informs the latter (early and noisier Veil Of Light records like Ursprung are important points of reference). That’s not to shift focus away from the fact that Unmut read as a metal band first and foremost, as the Ulver-esque prog ambitions of closer “Hero” remind us, but damned if it isn’t refreshing to hear some metal from folks whose understanding of darker fare extends beyond “synths = industrial, candles = goth”. A nice and varied package to send to your hessian friends who assume industrial begins and ends with Strapping Young Lad.
Lys Morke
Knife Therapy
Artoffact Records
There’s a lot to like about Lys Morke’s debut EP for Artoffact Records Knife Therapy; the solo project of Irene Talló has a scant few releases to its name, but their obvious promise has landed the Spanish producer/performer an opening slot on a European tour for The Cult. What the fans of that band might make of the artful, moody combination of heavy beats, slow moving textures and jagged guitars is still unclear, but what brought her to the spotlight isn’t – Talló has that specific combination of powerful vocals and heartfelt delivery that elevates her songs from moody to affecting. The slow build of “Nothing Means Anything Anymore” is entirely contingent on how its vocals start way off in the distance, the sparse mix of strings and bits of percussion that float through the mix eventually coalescing into a powerful climax where the massive amounts of processing can’t mask the force of Talló’s delivery. “Affection” is dense with heavy beats and quick blasts of guitar, Talló managing to come across as both earthy and otherwordly as she is artificially pitched into beautifully inhuman shapes. That kind of vocal production is key to the whole sound of the EP, and the contrast between straight singing and digital manipulation is obvious from the jump: opener “Fleeting Feeling” opens with a mix of pulsing electronics and spoken words that draw the listener in, only to be floored when it all drops away and that distinctive, confident and forceful voice takes hold.
